1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wireless telecommunication systems. More particularly, the invention concerns the disposition of calls to wireless terminals in a wireless telecommunication system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In wireless telecommunication systems, incoming call disposition to wireless terminals (e.g., call setup, call forwarding, announcement playing, etc.) has traditionally been handled automatically at the MSC (Mobile Switching Center) based on pre-determined rules. According to such processing, a static call disposition response is made for all calls regardless of their nature or perceived value to the subscriber. The subscriber is thus deprived of an opportunity to dynamically prioritize incoming communications or otherwise subjectively judge call importance. This is especially critical if the subscriber is already occupied with another call when a new call arrives.
The implementation of call waiting, call forwarding, and caller identification services represents one prior art response to this problem. Such services, however, do not provide detailed incoming call information, and they allow only pre-determined call disposition response options, i.e., the subscriber must either accept the call or reject it.
Another prior art response to the problem of dynamic call disposition has been to allow subscribers to download call disposition service logic to their wireless terminals. This approach, however, requires complicated management of the stored service logic, leading to high customer support costs for service providers. It is also cumbersome to introduce new services, upgrade old services, and install bug fixes. Moreover, a voice connection must be established between the MSC and the wireless terminal to communicate call disposition information. The subscriber is normally charged for this air time.
Still another prior art approach to the dynamic call disposition problem has been to provide such service through a voice circuit. More particularly, when a call is received at a subscriber's MSC, the MSC establishes a voice connection to the subscriber's mobile wireless terminal and plays an announcement containing call disposition choices. The subscriber's voice responses are then collected and decoded by a speech recognition circuit. If the wireless terminal is already engaged in another call, this approach requires a call waiting function to be implemented so that the subscriber will know to listen to the announcement. Again, the subscriber also normally incurs air time charges relative to the announcement connection.
Accordingly, there is an evident need for an improved dynamic call disposition service for wireless terminals, and especially those which are already occupied with existing calls, that overcomes the attendant disadvantages of the above-described prior art systems. What is required is an improved dynamic call disposition service that allows subscribers to dynamically control call disposition without having to manage complicated service logic at their wireless terminals and without the inconvenience and expense of voice channel announcement systems.